Utility transmission lines can include electrical connectors and/or electrical connector assemblies positioned overhead or buried underground. For example, known shear bolt connectors serve as underground splices of copper cables between 2/0 AWG to 75 kcmil and for applications up to 35 kV. Shear bolt connectors include a housing for receiving conductors and employ bolts that can be rotated to extend into the housing to physically contact and screw into the conductors to secure the conductors to the housing.
Untimely interruptions to electrical transmission can occur when conductors become separated or dislodged from the housing. This can be both time consuming and costly to any power provider.
Shear bolt connectors suffer from the drawback that the signals travelling through to the bolt are limited by the amount of contact between the conductor and the bolt. The amount of contact is limited by the threaded end of the bolt and the amount of deformability of the conductor. For example, the threaded end of the bolt limits the amount of contact by creating an uneven interface with the conductor (the conductor can be generally cylindrical and the bolt can have a planar or inconsistent threaded end). The amount of deformability of the conductor limits the amount of contact by limiting the ability of the bolt to penetrate into the conductor, thus limiting the amount of contact. With conductors having little deformability, such limitations increase a risk of the conductors being disconnected from the housing of the electrical connector. In addition, when the bolts directly deform the conductor, strands on the conductor can be severed, thereby reducing the ability to retain tension, especially when the bolts are repeatedly loosened and tightened.
An electrical connector, a conductive insert, and an electrical connector assembly, not suffering from one or more of the above drawbacks would be desirable in the art.